Maria Susana
by The Akai-Sakura
Summary: Maria Susana is a normal Spanish girl who—like many others her age—falls into Middleearth. The catch? She’s from the 1500s, speaks only Spanish and English, and serves as a ladyinwaiting to Princess Catherine of Aragon. Complications arise, and not just f


**Summary**: Maria Susana is a normal Spanish girl who—like many others her age—falls into Middle-earth. The catch? She's from the 1500s, speaks only Spanish and English, and serves as a lady-in-waiting to Princess Catherine of Aragon. Complications arise, and not just from the language barriers!

**A:N:** This is really just a side story since I am suffering a mighty case of writer's block. .:sweatdrops:. Do forgive me, my dearest readers/reviewers. Since I'm sure you are being consumed by curiosity (or I'm just a loudmouth), the next chapter of MSC is in the works, as is the next chapter of FDFN. KoT is being revamped big-time because there are just way too many errors, so don't expect anything new for a while. Again, forgive me! .:bows repeatedly:. And, of course, on with the story! Hope you enjoy!

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Arda. As I have said many times over. I do own Maria Susana, because I'm not sure that Catherine of Aragon actually had a lady-in-waiting named that. Ah well. .:shrugs:. For the purposes of this story, she did.

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_**Maria Susana**_

_**Chapter 1**_

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She was not exceptional.

Oh, of course she was a bit of a beauty. With that long, dark brown hair and those green eyes, she probably caught the eye of some man. But she was a simple Spanish maiden, nothing more. Her hair was caught up behind her hood, and she dressed modestly, as her papa insisted. She was dutiful, obedient, and, to be quite honest, not very smart. Her duties were for her lady, the Princess Catherine of Aragon, daughter to Queen Isabella of Castile and King Ferdinand V of Aragon.

She herself was nothing higher than the daughter of a small duke who had been granted a title so as to raise his daughter's favor. Her mother was beautiful, with her fair hair and azure eyes, but her daughter looked nothing like her.

And, at the moment, she was searching for her charge.

"Princess Catherine!" Maria Susana cried. She lifted her Spanish skirt so that her hem barely skimmed the ground. "Princess, I realize that you do not wish to see the prince, but please! Just this once!"

A muffled voice replied, "Never! A curse on that prince, the Prince of Wales, Arthur. I will never see him."

Maria Susana sighed. She knew how to play this game, after living so long in the court. "Princess, do you not fear your parent's wrath?" she asked patiently.

A pair of dark eyes peered out at her. "It is none of your concern," Catherine snapped with less conviction. "They will not marry me to him."

"They want to, and they will, Princess," soothed Maria Susana. She put on her best courtier's smile. "Now come out and allow me to dress you so that this Prince of Wales shall be dazzled by your beauty and your intellect." The Princess was intelligent, by far. She could greet visitors in Latin, English, French, Greek, and of course her native Spanish. She was well-educated and learned from the best of tutors in her childhood.

Maria Susana felt a pang of envy. She herself only knew enough to script her own name and to recite from the Holy Book. She had learned to speak a few simple phrases in English, true, but that was the extent of her worldliness. But she was no princess, and so did not aspire for anything more than to be Princess Catherine's lady-in-waiting.

Catherine reluctantly appeared. Her lovely dark hair tumbled out from under her hood, and her dark eyes kept perfectly modulated, though by now Maria Susana knew that she was fighting to keep her princess training intact. "Fine," the princess replied, her voice perfectly monotone. "Dress me, then show me this Prince of Wales." She waved her hand dismissively, and Maria Susana fell behind her as she walked stately to her suites.

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"Maria Susana!" her father cried. The girl turned her head.

"Papa!" She hurried over to him. "Papa, I must go to the princess. She calls for me to dress her." She hovered, anxious to return to her work.

"Hurry to your princess then, but listen." Her father drew her close. "I have had an offer of marriage for you today from Alfredo de Castile. He is wealthy and would do us much honor if you married him."

"Yes, father," she said dutifully. "If you wish, I shall marry him."

Her father released her wrists. "Good girl. You are obedient, unlike those wenches who demand their own marriages now in France." He sniffed in disdain.

"Yes, father."

"Now go to your princess," he whispered. Maria Susana hurried off. To be honest, she had noticed Alfredo casting sheep's eyes at her often, and she had accepted it with a slight smile. If her father wished them married, then married they would be. Who was she to argue the man of her family, when she was but a woman?

As she was brooding, Maria Susana hardly noticed a woman pass by her, smiling.

"She will be perfect," the woman whispered to herself. "Perfect, like the rest."

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As Maria Susana arrived in the dressing chambers of Princess Catherine, time mysteriously seemed to slow. Everyone else froze in their positions… except Maria Susana. She stopped, eyes wide. "What… what is this sorcery?" she cried, crossing herself reflexively.

"Oh, I _do_ hope you shan't be doing that in Middle-earth, my dear," came a drawling woman's voice from behind her. Maria Susana whirled around.

"Who are you? Are you the…" She inhaled sharply. "Are you the Devil?"

The woman laughed, a deep-throated laugh that echoed. Her hair seemed to change color every few seconds to a new color, from dark brown like Maria Susana's own to a purplish color that the girl never knew existed. Her eyes, too, changed color often. A few seconds ago they were sable brown; now they were silver. She had a full figure, though she seemed a little young.

She finished laughing. "No, no, my dear," she assured, "though there are some that would say that I am. I am the spirit of Mary-Sueness throughout the world." She sighed. "And, quite frankly, I am running out of Mary Sues to send to Middle-earth. Damned canon writers," she spat suddenly, her voice turning to venom. Noticing the young girl's frightened look, she sweetened her voice. "My dear, I have chosen you to go to a new and exciting place, where there are many men who will worship the ground you walk on!"

"No," Maria Susana managed to say. "Worship is for God and God alone. I dare not presume to think that I, of anyone, should take His place."

"Hmm." The woman thought for a bit. "Well, there are many men, and you shall travel with them, and exercise those fighting skills I am sure you must have!"

The girl shook her head. "I cannot fight. It is not a lady's place to fight as a man."

The woman sighed, dropping the pretensions and acquiring a Valley-Girl speech impediment. "Like, the name, okay? Maria Susana? Y'know, Mary Sue? That's your sign, okay?" She waved her hand. "Enough arguing; just, like, go."

Maria Susana tried to protest that she needed to attend the princess before this event, and that her father was betrothing her as they spoke, and that she did not want to be worshipped in God's stead, but the ground was dropping beneath her and all she could do was scream.


End file.
